One of the most challenging aspects of being a graduate student is balancing self-care along with numerous responsibilities, such as classes, research, and teaching. Without self-care, we put ourselves at risk for prolonged stress and burnout.  While self-care can look different for everyone, at its essence self-care is about incorporating routines rooted in your interests and values that enhance your mental, emotional, and physical health.

 

Grad Success and The Well have partnered to provide self-care opportunities to graduate students through our Chill Out sessions.  At Chill Outs, we provide nap pods, healthy snacks, art, and head massagers. We even have foot reflexology, which is a mat that applies specific pressure points on the feet that help manage symptoms associated with stress. Through these activities, we hope to provide graduate students with outlets to engage in self-care as well as inspiration for how some of these activities can be incorporated into their daily routines. The following section provides self-care tips from the Grad Success staff:

 

Tips for Self-Care

1. Be Basic – Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating nutritious food? In graduate school, it can be hard to meet your basic needs while balancing work demands. Ensuring that you are getting enough rest and consuming healthy foods is a great first step to beginning self-care.

 

[Image Description: A baby falls face down onto the couch, too exhausted to stay sitting upright.]

Pictured: You, when you aren’t being basic and are, therefore, very sleepy

 

2. Be Your Own Advocate – Practicing positive self-talk is important for combatting feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome. Acknowledge the accomplishments you have made, along with the steps you are taking to reach your goals.

 

[Image Description: Rich the Kid dances while around him the following words appear on the screen in blue and green: I’m So Awesome.]

Pictured: The voice inside your head

 

3. Be Present – When engaging in self-care, be fully present. Turn off your social media, work e-mails, cell phones, and any other types of distractions. Setting healthy boundaries within your job and social obligations is another important way to advocate for yourself and to ensure you are creating space for self-care.

 

[Image Description: Rachel Heine looks passionately out at the viewer while she says, “Don’t act like working yourself to death is the high standard to work towards.]

Pictured: You, reminding yourself that work-life balance is a good thing

 

4. Be yourself– Choose self-care activities that reflect what is important to you. For some that could be cooking, for others that could be art, exercise, reading, etc.  What matters is that the activities you do feel relaxing and balanced.

 

[Image Description: A young woman looks off to the left while she says, “Authentically me.”]

Pictured: You, choosing to be yourself

 

We hope to see you at the next Chill Out on Tuesday, November 19th! Share your self-care routines during the Chill Out session!

 

 [Image Description: Two iguanas relaxing on a patio table.]

Pictured: Us, waiting for you to tell us your self-care routines